Gamehelpevenglow

Overview

In Evenglow, players take on the role of alchemists cultivating magical plants in two gardens: Sunlight and Moonlight.

Each turn, all players plant two tiles in mirrored positions across their gardens. Arrange plants into specific patterns to score points and harvest magical ingredients to earn powerful Potion cards.

The player with the most points at the end of the game wins.

Setup

1. Each player receives a Garden board containing a Sunlight garden and a Moonlight garden.
2. The first player receives the Draft board, with the Active Player side pointing toward them.
3. Shuffle the Plant cards and prepare the appropriate number according to player count:
   • 2 players: 20 Plant cards
   • 3 players: 21 Plant cards
   • 4 players: 20 Plant cards
4. Deal one Plant card to each player. Keep these cards hidden from opponents.
5. Place the Plant tiles, Potion cards, and Harvest tokens nearby in a common supply.
6. Reveal one Seed card. This determines the two starting Plant tiles each player receives.
7. Each player places their starting tiles into space #7 of their Sunlight and Moonlight gardens, choosing which plant goes into which garden.

The game begins with the first player.

Gameplay

Players take turns clockwise until the game ends.

On every turn, all players will place two Plant tiles in their gardens, not just the active player.

1. Play a Plant Card

The active player places their Plant card onto the Draft board.

They may rotate the card to choose which plants will be available.

The Draft board divides the card into two sections:

• Active Player: The two plants the active player receives.
• Everyone Else: The two plants all other players receive.

The active player chooses the card's orientation before anyone places their plants.

2. Place Plant Tiles

All players place their indicated Plant tiles into their own gardens.

Each player must follow these rules:

• Place one tile in the Sunlight garden and one tile in the Moonlight garden.
• Both tiles must occupy mirrored spaces, identified by matching space numbers.
• The player chooses which of the two plants goes into each garden.
• Tiles may be placed in any available pair of mirrored spaces.
• Tiles may be rotated freely before placement.
• Once placed, tiles cannot be moved or rotated unless a Potion ability allows it.

Example:

If you receive a Mandrake and a Henbane Flowers tile, you could place the Mandrake into space #13 of your Sunlight garden and the Henbane Flowers into space #13 of your Moonlight garden, or vice versa.

You cannot place them into different numbered spaces.

3. Draw a New Plant Card

If Plant cards remain in the deck, the active player draws one into their hand.

If the deck is empty, skip this step.

4. Pass the Draft Board

After everyone has placed their tiles:

1. Discard the played Plant card.
2. Pass the Draft board clockwise to the next player.
3. The next player becomes the active player.

Continue until a game-ending condition occurs.

Plant Types

There are six different types of Plant tiles.

Each type has a different scoring condition.

Some plant configurations can also be harvested to earn Potion cards.

Vines (Green)

Vines score points by forming connected groups.

• Score 1 point per Vine tile in the largest connected group in each garden.
• Vine tiles are connected when their stems meet across a shared tile edge.
• Only the largest connected Vine group in each garden scores.

Each garden is evaluated separately.

Example:

A connected group of 5 Vines in the Sunlight garden and 3 connected Vines in the Moonlight garden scores 8 points total, assuming both are the largest groups in their respective gardens.

Leaves (Blue)

Leaves score points when connected to scoring Vines.

• Each Leaf tile contains two separate Leaves.
• Each individual Leaf scores 2 points if connected to the largest Vine group in its garden.
• A connection requires the Leaf stem and Vine stem to meet across a shared tile edge.
• Each Leaf tile can score 0, 2, or 4 points.

A Leaf connected to a Vine outside the largest scoring Vine group does not score.

Henbane Flowers (Purple)

Henbane Flowers score points in pairs.

• Score 2 points for each connected group of exactly 2 Henbane Flowers.
• Score an additional 2 points if neither tile touches the garden's perimeter.
• A connected group of 3 or more Henbane Flowers does not score.

Example:

Two adjacent Henbane Flowers in the interior of a garden score 4 points total.

The same pair touching the perimeter scores only 2 points.

Lion's Mane (Orange)

Lion's Mane scores points in groups of three.

• Score 3 points for each connected group of exactly 3 Lion's Mane.
• A group of 4 or more connected Lion's Mane does not score.
• Forming exactly 3 Lion's Mane in a triangle immediately awards an Essence of Undew Potion.

The Potion is awarded when the required triangle is completed.

Mandrake (Yellow)

Mandrakes score points in groups of four.

• Score 4 points for each connected group of exactly 4 Mandrakes.
• A group of 5 or more connected Mandrakes does not score.
• Arranging exactly 4 Mandrakes in a straight horizontal or diagonal line immediately awards a Chaos Elixir Potion.

Other connected arrangements of exactly four Mandrakes score their normal 4 points but do not award a Potion.

Elderberries (Red)

Elderberries score points based on their position within a completed group.

• Forming exactly 5 connected Elderberries immediately awards a Tincture of Transmutation Potion.
• At the end of the game, each qualifying group scores 1 point for each Elderberries tile touching the garden's perimeter.
• Groups containing fewer or more than 5 connected Elderberries do not score.

Example:

A group of exactly 5 Elderberries with 3 tiles touching the garden's perimeter scores 3 points from the plants.

The player also receives the Tincture of Transmutation Potion, worth 5 additional points.

Potions

Certain plant formations allow players to harvest plants and earn magical Potion cards.

Potions provide special abilities during the game and additional points at the end.

Harvesting Plants

Whenever you complete a qualifying formation:

1. Immediately place a Harvest token on the formation.
2. Take the matching Potion card from the supply.
3. The tiles that make up the harvested formation become locked.

Locked tiles cannot be moved, swapped, or replaced for the remainder of the game.

Additional tiles of the same type placed next to an existing Harvested formation do not become locked automatically.

Adding more matching tiles to a previously harvested formation does not award another Potion.

Essence of Undew

Plant Requirement: Exactly 3 Lion's Mane arranged in a triangle.

Potion Value: 3 points.

Ability: Swap any two unlocked Plant tiles in your gardens.

• The tiles may be in the same garden or different gardens.
• Both tiles may be rotated freely when swapping.
• Locked tiles cannot be selected.

This Potion is useful for correcting plant arrangements or connecting previously disconnected Vines and Leaves.

Chaos Elixir

Plant Requirement: Exactly 4 Mandrakes arranged in a straight horizontal or diagonal line.

Potion Value: 4 points.

Ability: Change the two Plant tiles you receive from the current Plant card.

Instead of taking both plants from your assigned side of the Draft board:

• Select one plant from the side facing you.
• Select one plant from the opposite side.
• Place the two chosen plants into your gardens normally.

Any combination is allowed as long as one plant comes from each side.

This Potion can be used even when you are not the active player.

Tincture of Transmutation

Plant Requirement: Exactly 5 connected Elderberries in any configuration.

Potion Value: 5 points.

Ability: Replace one unlocked Plant tile in either of your gardens.

• Select any unlocked Plant tile.
• Return that tile to the supply.
• Take any Plant tile from the supply.
• Place the replacement into the same space.
• The replacement may be any plant type and may be rotated freely.

You may replace a tile with another tile of the same type simply to change its orientation.

Using Potion Cards

• Potions may be used on any player's turn.
• Each player may use only one Potion per turn.
• Each Potion card may be used only once.
• Using a Potion flips it face down.
• Used Potions remain in front of the player.
• Used and unused Potions score their full printed point values at the end of the game.

There is no requirement to use a Potion before the game ends.

Potion Set Bonus

At the end of the game, score 3 additional points for every complete set containing:

• 1 Essence of Undew (Orange)
• 1 Chaos Elixir (Yellow)
• 1 Tincture of Transmutation (Red)

Each Potion card may only be counted toward one set.

Both used and unused Potion cards count toward the set bonus.

Forfeited Scoring

Harvested formations can lose their normal plant scoring if additional matching tiles are placed next to them.

Example:

A player creates a triangle of exactly 3 Lion's Mane and earns an Essence of Undew Potion.

Later, the player adds a fourth Lion's Mane connected to that formation.

At the end of the game:

• The formation of 4 Lion's Mane scores 0 plant points.
• The player keeps the previously earned Potion.
• The Potion is still worth 3 points.
• The fourth tile is not locked and may be moved using a suitable Potion.

If the extra tile is moved before the game ends and the original exact group of 3 is restored, the formation can score normally.

Game End

The game ends when either of the following occurs:

All Plant Cards Have Been Played

The game ends after the final Plant card is played and all players have placed their resulting tiles.

Plant Tile Supply Is Exhausted

If the supply of any one Plant tile type runs out, the game ends after the current turn is completed.

If there are not enough tiles of a required type for all players during that turn:

1. Distribute the remaining tiles in turn order, beginning with the active player.
2. Continue clockwise until the supply is exhausted.
3. Players who cannot receive a required tile may substitute another available Plant tile type.

After completing the turn, proceed to scoring.

Final Scoring

Each player scores their Sunlight and Moonlight gardens, Potion cards, and Potion collection bonuses.

Category	Scoring
Vines	1 point per tile in the largest connected Vine group in each garden.
Leaves	2 points per individual Leaf connected to a scoring Vine group.
Henbane Flowers	2 points per group of exactly 2, plus 2 additional points if neither tile touches the perimeter.
Lion's Mane	3 points per group of exactly 3 connected tiles.
Mandrake	4 points per group of exactly 4 connected tiles.
Elderberries	1 point per perimeter tile in each group of exactly 5 connected tiles.
Essence of Undew	3 points per Potion card.
Chaos Elixir	4 points per Potion card.
Tincture of Transmutation	5 points per Potion card.
Potion Sets	3 points per complete Orange, Yellow, and Red Potion set.

Important scoring reminders:

• The two gardens are scored separately.
• Plant groups must meet their exact scoring requirements.
• Adding an extra matching tile to a group can invalidate its scoring.
• Harvested groups must still satisfy their scoring requirements at game end.
• Used and unused Potions both award points.
• Potion set bonuses are awarded in addition to the printed Potion values.

Winning

The player with the highest total score wins.

If players are tied:

1. The player with the most Potion cards wins.
2. If still tied, the player with the most unused Potion cards wins.
3. If still tied, the players share the victory.

My First Gardens (Family Variant)

My First Gardens is a simplified version of Evenglow designed for families and newer players.

It uses the same basic Plant card drafting and mirrored tile placement rules.

Setup Changes

Use the standard setup, except:

• Do not use Potion cards.
• Do not use Harvest tokens.

Gameplay Changes

Gameplay follows the normal rules, but players cannot earn or use Potions.

Family Variant Scoring

Plant	Scoring
Vines	1 point per tile in the largest adjacent Vine group in each garden. Stem alignment does not matter.
Leaves	2 points per Leaf tile adjacent to any Vine tile. Stem alignment does not matter.
Henbane Flowers	2 points per group of exactly 2 adjacent tiles.
Lion's Mane	3 points per group of exactly 3 connected tiles.
Mandrake	4 points per group of exactly 4 connected tiles.
Elderberries	5 points per group of exactly 5 connected tiles.

Ignore all bonus scoring conditions in the Family Variant.

The player with the highest score wins.

Play Against the Unseen (Solo Variant)

In the Solo Variant, you compete against an automated opponent known as the Unseen.

Plants that are not selected for your gardens are placed onto the Solo board, increasing the Unseen's score.

Solo Setup

Set up the game as a 2-player game, with the following changes:

1. Use the Solo board instead of a second player's Garden board.
2. Shuffle the Plant cards and use exactly 18 cards.
3. Return the unused cards to the box unseen.

The Solo board is located on the reverse side of the designated double-sided Garden board.

Solo Gameplay

On each turn:

1. Reveal your Plant card.
2. Rotate it to choose the two plants you want on the Active Player side.
3. Plant those two tiles into mirrored spaces in your Sunlight and Moonlight gardens, following the normal rules.
4. Take the other two plants from the Everyone Else side and place them onto the Solo board.
5. Place matching plant types into the same row on the Solo board.

Continue until you have played all 18 Plant cards.

At that point, you should have 6 empty spaces remaining in each garden.

Solo Scoring

After playing the 18th card:

1. Score your gardens and Potions using the standard rules.
2. Calculate the Unseen's score using the Solo board.
3. Each row of the Solo board scores the highest point value covered in that row.
4. Add the points from every row to determine the Unseen's total.

You win if your score is higher than the Unseen's score.

Quick Reference

Plant	Required Formation	Points	Potion Bonus
Vines	Largest connected group, with matching stems	1 per Vine tile	None
Leaves	Individual Leaves connected to the largest Vine group	2 per connected Leaf	None
Henbane Flowers	Exactly 2 adjacent tiles	2, plus 2 if both are away from the perimeter	None
Lion's Mane	Exactly 3 connected tiles	3	Essence of Undew if arranged in a triangle
Mandrake	Exactly 4 connected tiles	4	Chaos Elixir if arranged in a straight horizontal or diagonal line
Elderberries	Exactly 5 connected tiles	1 per tile touching the perimeter	Tincture of Transmutation

Potion Reference

Potion	Points	Ability
Essence of Undew	3	Swap any two unlocked Plant tiles and optionally rotate them.
Chaos Elixir	4	Plant one tile from each side of the current Draft board.
Tincture of Transmutation	5	Replace one unlocked Plant tile with any Plant tile from the supply.

Remember:

• Every normal placement requires matching numbered spaces in both gardens.
• Only one Potion may be used per player per turn.
• Harvested tiles are locked.
• Exact plant group sizes matter.
• Potions score even if already used.
• Complete three-color Potion sets award 3 bonus points.

Credits

• Game Designer: Jason Katzwinkel
• Artwork: Clémentine Campardou
• Publisher: The Op (USAopoly)